Register for Clean Up Australia Day

CLEAN Up Australia Day turns 35 in 2025, and the organisation is calling on all Australians to commemorate the milestone by registering to take part.

Since Ian Kiernan founded the environmental action day in 1990, more than 22 million Australians have registered as a volunteer for Clean Up activities within their local community year round.

This year’s Clean Up Australia Day campaign alone collected an estimated 140,000 bags of litter nationally, highlighting the continued importance and relevance of Clean Up events and volunteers.

“Clean Up Australia has a rich history of mobilising Australians to take practical action to clear up the mass amount of litter and waste that makes its way into our beautiful waterways and other natural surroundings,” Clean Up Australia chair Pip Kiernan said.

“We know that 35 years on from when my father, Ian Kiernan, started this iconic organisation, our fight against litter is nowhere near over, but we also know that as a society we need to shift our habits to consider litter prevention and best practice to stop it from entering our environment in the first place.”

The FY23 Clean Up Australia Litter Report which provides an annual snapshot of litter collected by volunteers in a calendar year, highlighted that plastics continue to dominate, marking 81 per cent of all surveyed litter.

The report also showed 44 per cent of all litter was cleared from waterway sites, 16 per cent from parks and 11 per cent from bushland, demonstrating the need to encourage as many Australians as possible to glove up and get out into the community on Clean Up Australia Day and events throughout the new year.

“I truly hope that in 2025 we can rally as many Aussies as possible to get behind Clean Up Australia and make it the biggest year of action to date,” Ms Kiernan said.

“Nothing makes us prouder than to see communities from all walks of life and generations coming together with a common goal of making a difference for our precious environment.” Registrations for Clean Up Australia Day 2025 are now open.

Volunteers can receive a free Clean Up kit, containing gloves, bags and other resources, with packs for individuals, families and community groups available (businesses are asked to pay a small fee to cover costs).

If you are unable to participate, donations to Clean Up Australia are welcome, with 100% of funds raised going directly to empowering Australians to take positive action for the environment and providing Clean Up kits.

In 2025, Clean Up Australia Day will take place on March 2, preceded by Business Clean Up Day on February 25 and Schools Clean Up Day on February 28.

For more information or to register, head to cleanup.org.au